Da Nang to Hoi An: how far, how much, how long
Da Nang to Hoi An is a short transfer: about 30 km down the coast, 45 to 60 minutes in a car, and roughly US$14 to US$18 by metered taxi. Most travelers use it as a same-day airport-to-Hoi An transfer. This guide covers every direction of the trip, plus the bonus Hue to Hoi An route that everyone asks about next.
How far is Da Nang to Hoi An?
Da Nang to Hoi An is a short, mostly coastal drive: about 30 km, 45 to 60 minutes by car. The trip works the same in either direction, and if you are flying into Da Nang first, the airport adds only a few minutes to the same route.
The coastal road distance
Da Nang to Hoi An is about 30 km (19 miles) on the coastal road. Driving time is 45 to 60 minutes in a car or Grab depending on traffic, and around 90 minutes on the local shuttle bus. The two cities feel like one continuous strip along My Khe and An Bang beaches.
The return trip and the airport
Hoi An to Da Nang covers the same 30 km in reverse, with the same options and prices. Da Nang International Airport (DAD) is inside the city, so Da Nang airport to Hoi An is basically the same trip plus five to ten minutes on the airport side.
Skip the local shuttle bus if your time matters more than the fare. It takes up to 90 minutes against 45 to 60 minutes by car or Grab, even though it costs a fraction of the price.
The five ways to get from Da Nang to Hoi An
Five options cover the trip from Da Nang to Hoi An: Grab, metered taxi, a private car in 4-seat or 7-seat size, and the yellow local bus. All land at the same street south of the Old Town, so the choice comes down to budget, luggage, and how much time you want to spend.
Compare the five options
Option | Time | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
Grab (car) | 45-60 min | 243,000-365,000 VND (US$10-15) | Solo travelers and couples, no big luggage |
Metered taxi | 45-60 min | 350,000-430,000 VND (US$14-18) | Anyone landing at DAD without a Vietnamese SIM |
Private car 4-seat | 45-60 min | from 350,000 VND (US$14) | Fixed price, driver holding a sign at arrivals |
Private car 7-seat | 45-60 min | from 400,000 VND (US$16) | Groups of 3-5 or luggage-heavy travelers |
Yellow local bus | 75-90 min | 18,000-30,000 VND (locals pay 18,000 VND; tourists are often asked for more) | Backpackers with no schedule and light bags |
Build a stop into the drive
If you want the trip built into a day tour of Marble Mountains or the Golden Bridge on the way, a private car with stops built in handles the transfer in one route. See the tour link at the end of this guide.
Skip the motorbike unless you already ride confidently in Vietnam. The coast road is straight, but the last few kilometers into the Old Town are pedestrian-heavy and busy at night.
Hoi An from Da Nang airport
Da Nang International Airport is inside the city, about 4 km from the beach, so any transport to Hoi An works the same. Book a Grab in the arrivals hall, walk to the domestic taxi rank for a metered ride, or pre-book a private car if you want a fixed pickup after arrival.
The coastal route via Vo Nguyen Giap
Cars use the coastal road via Vo Nguyen Giap, which passes My Khe and Non Nuoc beaches and takes you through the Marble Mountains area before dropping you at your Hoi An hotel. Ask the driver for the coastal route if the app suggests the highway, which is faster but ugly. See our Da Nang things-to-do guide for what to fit in before you head south.
Dragon Bridge evening detour
If your layover in Da Nang runs into the evening, the Dragon Bridge puts on a free fire and water breathing show at 9pm every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night, about 30 minutes long, one reason some travelers add a night in the city before heading to Hoi An.
Skip the highway if the app suggests it, ask the driver for the coastal road instead. It passes My Khe and Non Nuoc beaches and the Marble Mountains area instead of a faster but uglier drive.
Is there a Hoi An airport?
No. There is no airport in Hoi An itself. All flights that people call "fly to Hoi An" actually land at Da Nang. From Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, book a flight to DAD, then transfer 30 km south.
Flight times from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City
Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet fly Hanoi to Da Nang in about 1 hour 20 minutes, and Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang in about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Comparing airlines
Bamboo Airways also operates a base at DAD and flies both routes, so it is worth comparing fares alongside Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet before booking.
Skip searching for direct flights to Hoi An, no airline serves it. Search for Da Nang instead and treat the 30 km transfer as part of the trip, not an extra step.
Hue to Hoi An: worth the extra drive?
Hue to Hoi An is a bigger commitment: about 125 km and 3 to 5 hours depending on the route. The through-drive via the Hai Van Tunnel takes around 3 hours in a car. The scenic route over the Hai Van Pass with stops at Lang Co Beach and the Marble Mountains runs 5 to 7 hours and is the trip most first-time visitors should book.
Compare the four options
Option | Time | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
Private car via Hai Van Pass | 5-7 hours with stops | from 1,450,000 VND (US$58) | Everyone on a first visit |
Private car via Hai Van Tunnel | 3 hours | from 1,200,000 VND (US$48) | Late arrivals, tight schedules |
Sleeper or seat bus | 3-5 hours | 200,000-480,000 VND (US$8-19) | Backpackers |
Train Hue to Da Nang + car | 3 hours + 45 min | from 92,000 VND for train + car | Anyone who wants to see the pass without driving it |
Why there is no direct train
There is no direct train from Hue to Hoi An. The Reunification Express runs Hue to Da Nang in 2h 32m to 3h 35m, and you then need a car for the final 30 km to Hoi An.
Skip the Hai Van Tunnel on a first visit even though it saves two to four hours, the pass route with stops at Lang Co Beach and Marble Mountains is the whole reason most people choose to drive this leg instead of fly.
What to stop for along the way
On the Da Nang to Hoi An leg, only three stops earn a break in a one-hour drive: Marble Mountains, one of the beaches, and the Golden Bridge if you have half a day. A fourth, Lang Co Beach, only applies if you are also driving the Hue to Hoi An route.
Quick stops: Marble Mountains and the beach
Marble Mountains. Five limestone hills with pagodas, caves and a viewpoint over the coast. Entry is 40,000 VND, elevator up to the main hill 15,000 VND one-way. Give it 60 to 90 minutes. My Khe or An Bang beach. Long clean sand, cheap loungers. Fifteen minutes is enough for a look, or half a day if you want to swim.
Bigger detours: Lang Co and the Golden Bridge
Lang Co Beach. Only if you are on the Hue to Hoi An route. Lunch stop before or after the Hai Van Pass climb. Golden Bridge at Ba Na Hills. A bigger detour, not a quick stop. Entry runs 950,000 VND for adults and includes the round-trip cable car; the park is open 8:00 to 22:00, though evening cable car departures thin out after 17:00.
Skip assuming stops are automatic, ask for them when you book, not on the day. Almost every private car service only builds Marble Mountains or beach time into the base fare if you request it in advance.
Other transfers to Hoi An in one minute
Three more routes come up often: Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Nha Trang to Hoi An. None of them is a short trip, and all funnel through the same Da Nang transfer covered above once you land.
Ho Chi Minh City to Hoi An
About 990 km by road (959 km to Da Nang plus the 30 km transfer). Fly to Da Nang (about 1h 15m) then car. Do not attempt the road drive as anything less than a multi-day route.
Hanoi to Hoi An
About 770 km by road (740 km to Da Nang plus the 30 km transfer). Fly to Da Nang (about 1h 20m) then car. Overnight train Hanoi to Da Nang runs 15 to 17 hours.
Nha Trang to Hoi An
530 km. Overnight sleeper bus or the north-bound Reunification Express to Da Nang, then car.
Skip planning any of these as a same-day connection. Budget a full transfer day for Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, or Nha Trang to Hoi An, the flight plus the 30 km transfer already fills it.
Where to stay once you arrive in Hoi An town
Most first-time visitors sleep in the Old Town or in An Bang Beach, 5 km east. Both put you on the same short taxi ride, so the choice comes down to lanterns and dinner walks versus beach mornings, not real distance.
Old Town
Old Town gives you the lanterns at dusk and dinner on the walk home.
An Bang Beach
An Bang trades the lanterns for the beach and quieter mornings, and you can day-trip between the two cheaply.
Skip staying in Da Nang if Hoi An is the plan. The 30 km drive twice a day eats time and adds cost, and Hoi An hotels are typically cheaper than Da Nang beach resorts for the same category.
Pick your transfer and book your days
Da Nang to Hoi An is short, and Hue to Hoi An is longer but worth taking the pass. Once you land in Hoi An itself, plan the town in one to two days and add the countryside on day three.
Fill your evenings
See our Hoi An lantern night guide for the evening plan.
Book the fuller trip
For the trip itself, our Da Nang and Hoi An 5-day tour covers the Golden Bridge, a Hoi An cooking class, and a choice of Cham Island snorkeling or a Hai Van Pass jeep ride, based from one hotel.
Skip trying to see the Old Town and the surrounding countryside on the same day you arrive. Both deserve unhurried time, and cramming them together usually means shortchanging one or the other.
Distances, drive times, taxi and Grab price ranges, private car rates and Hai Van train times checked September 2026 against current Vietnam operator listings and the Vexere train ticket board. Local bus fares from Da Nang public transport listings. Prices change; confirm the fare on the app before you accept the ride.
Bichan is a Meetup Travel local expert, born and raised in Vietnam, who rides the local yellow bus and budget transfers between Da Nang and Hoi An regularly and knows which option actually saves money without wasting half a day.